Trouble light for automobiles



S. F. STELMACK TROUBLE LIGHT FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed June 6, 1945 Patented Jan. 27, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT orncs 2,435,165 TROUBLE LIGHT FOR AUTOMOBILES Stanley F. Stelmack, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application June's, 1945, Serial No. 597,831

(or. 240-818) I 1 Claim. 1

Th present invention relates to new and useful improvements in trouble lights for automobiles and other motor driven vehicles and has for its primary object to provide means for supporting an electric lamp under the hood of the automobile in a position for illuminating the engine thereof.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a trouble light of this character embodying a lamp housing pivotally supported on a base so that the light may be adjusted in a desired position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a base for supporting the lamp and embodying a spool mounted on the base and around which the circuit wire for the lamp is adapted to be wound when not in use.-

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character of simple and practical construction, which is efiicient and reliable in use, relatively inexpensive to manufac ture, easy to install in position without necessitating any material changes or alterations in the construction of the automobile and which otherwise is well adapted for the purpose for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of an automobile hood showing the trouble light mounted in position therein.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the trouble light.

Figure 3 is a front elevational view thereof,

Figur 4 is a top plan view, and

Figure 5 is a diagram of the switch for connecting the lamp to an emergency source of power.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein for the purpose of illustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 5 designates an automobile hood enclosing the engine 6.

A fire wall 1 is positioned in the rear of the hood and to the front side of which a bracket 8 is secured by means of th bolts or the like 9. The bracket includes a shelf In on which a lamp base H is removably positioned, the base having a yoke l2 rising therefrom and spaced above the base by means of a post or leg members l3 extending downwardly from the yoke.

A lamp housing It is pivotally mounted in the upper ends of the yoke I2 by means of trunnions l5 and secured in pivotally adjusted position by means of set screws IS.

A hollow spool or drum I! is fixedly, mounted on the post l3 and about which an extension electric cord i8 is adapted to be wound, the cord having a plug l9 at one end adapted for plugging in the rear of the lamp housing H! to provide an electrical connection for the lamp 20 mounted therein and the other end of the cord I8 also has a plug 2| attached thereto for connection with an outlet or socket 22 mounted on the front side of the fire wall I and connected with the battery of the automobile.

One or more dry cell storage batteries 26 are mounted in the spool l1 and mounted in the bottom of the spool is a switch 21 operated by a lever 28 having spaced apart contacts 29 carried thereby for bridging pairs of contacts 30 or 3! connected respectively in the circuit for the battery of the vehicle or for the batteries 26 to thus enable use of the batteries 25 in an emergency should the vehicle battery fail.

When the lamp is not in use, the electric cord I 8 may be wound on the spool or drum I! so that the cord will not interfere with the running of the engine 6.

By plugging in the cord It in the socket or outlet 22 the lamp 20 may be energized and the lamp housing I4 tilted into a desired position for illuminating any part of the engine.

The base H may also be removed from the bracket In so that the lamp may be used for working on other parts of the automobile, such as the tires or the like.

The base H is formed with an opening 23 adapted for registering with an opening in the shelf I 0 of the bracket 8 whereby to receive a padlock 24 in order to lock the lamp on the bracket against theft or unauthorized use.

A handle 25 is swivelly attached on top of the lamp housing M to facilitate handling thereof and to hold the lamp when winding the electric cord on the spool.

The lamp is preferably connected in the parking light circuit on the automobil with a switch (not shown) of conventional construction adapted to be moved into its closed position by a raising of the engine hood, the lamp and switch being connected in series with the parking light so that when the parking light is on and the hood raised the trouble light will be energized.

In view of the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings it A trouble light for an automobile morning 21.6

a base, means for supporting the base on a part of the automobile, a post arisingfromthebase and having an upper end yoke, a lamp housing pivoted in the yoke, a -battery on the base, an extension .cord having nne .end electrically con- 4 nected to the lamp in th housing and its other end for connection in the electric system of the automobile, a switch on said base connected to the extension cord and arranged to cut in the lamp with either the battery or said system, and a spool for winding said cord thereon mounted on the post to rest on the base and surrounding said post and battery.

- STANLEY' F. STELMACK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the like of patent:

LIUNITED STATES PATENTS .Number Name Date "13330974 Bauman et a1. Feb. 17, 1920 1 880,!730 Bogue Oct. 4, 1932 2,168,118 Dickson Aug. 1, 1939 2,233,377 Talbot Feb. 25., 1941 

